Anxiety skyrockets in Barcelona: more than 29,000 new cases in one year
The city has recovered its life expectancy after the pandemic: 87 years for women and 82 for men.
BarcelonaSex, age, and postal code also influence how distress is managed or how the many problems of daily life are faced. In Barcelona, being a woman, young, and living in districts with lower average income predisposes one to suffer more anxiety, according to the report on the health of Barcelona residents published annually by the City Council. This year, primary care has identified 29,482 new cases of anxiety compared to the previous year, two-thirds of which (18,854) were diagnosed in women. The difference between men and women in this regard is very significant: while 578 men per 100,000 inhabitants suffer from anxiety considered problematic, the rate for women rises to 953. That is, it is practically double. Both men and women feel more overwhelmed and react with greater anxiety when they are young, but place of residence is a differentiating factor, although it should be interpreted differently by sex.
Regarding women, the highest rates are recorded in Eixample (3,203 diagnoses per 100,000) and Ciutat Vella (3,111), followed by Nou Barris (2,983) and Gràcia (2,856). At the other end of the spectrum, the districts with the lowest incidence are Sarrià-Sant Gervasi (2,131.7) and Les Corts (2,276.8). In the case of men, the highest rates are also found in Eixample (2,043.1) and Ciutat Vella (2,018.3), along with Gràcia (1,851.6). The lowest incidences correspond to Sarrià-Sant Gervasi (1,041.4) and Les Corts (1,296.4). Overall, the territorial pattern reflects a higher diagnostic burden in the central districts and some of the most densely populated ones, while the lowest rates are concentrated in districts with higher socioeconomic levels.
Anxiety is not an illness or a mental health disorder per seIn fact, the body and mind naturally activate this response to situations perceived as threatening, difficult, or uncertain, forcing a reaction or response. With healthy activation, for example, fear prompts flight or bravery, or in an argument, it urges setting boundaries or seeking support. But when this alert system remains intensely, unjustifiably, and continuously active, causing problems in daily life, it is considered a mental health issue and requires medical intervention.
Suicidal ideation in women
The report, presented this Friday by the Councilor for Health, Marta Villanueva, also indicates that 9,262 new cases of depression were registered in 2024, 6,008 of them in women. Again, women account for 303 diagnosed cases per 100,000 inhabitants, while men have a rate of 177 cases. Contrary to what has been observed with anxiety, depression rates are indeed more prevalent with increasing age. "From the City Council, we want to focus on this problem; emotional well-being is a priority for our government," Villanueva stated.
The municipal analysis also includes suicidal ideation and attempts among Barcelona residents, and concludes that in 2024, higher rates were registered among women and young people, also in the most disadvantaged districts. However, suicide was more frequent in men and increased with age. According to the Suicide Risk Code registry, in 2024 the healthcare system attended to 1,988 cases of suicidal ideation among residents of Barcelona (1,128 suicidal thoughts and 860 attempts), which were more frequent among women. Attempts were more common among younger people.
The report also includes data from 2023, according to the Barcelona Mortality Registry, indicating that life expectancy at birth was 87.5 years for women and 82 years for men, figures very similar to those of 2019, suggesting that the city has recovered.
Increased methamphetamine use
Regarding drug use, the report from the Health Department notes 4,166 new treatment initiations for substance use disorders at outpatient centers within Barcelona's public network. There are no significant changes in the user profile: men (3,078) almost outnumber women (1,088) by three to one. Alcohol is the leading substance for treatment initiations in both sexes, followed by cocaine and cannabis, all with fairly constant initiation rates in recent years. According to the report, initiations related to opiate use have been gradually decreasing in the city, having been reduced by almost half in the last five years. In contrast, treatment initiations for methamphetamine use are on the rise: since 2015, they have increased almost ninefold for men and tripled for women. In 2024, 1.1% of women's treatment initiations and 4.9% of men's were due to this substance. The manager of the Barcelona Public Health Agency (ASPB), Joan Ramon Villalbí, explained that the drug market is changing in Barcelona, with a decrease in heroin and opiates and a predominance of stimulant drugs, some with "high addictive potential." "Historically, cocaine was predominant," he recalled, explaining that crack was the most prevalent, which is "highly addictive and compulsive." This compulsiveness, he said, generates more waste in public spaces. Conversely, they are now seeing an increase in methamphetamines, which is also of "great concern" to them. For his part, Villanueva emphasized that the City Council is working to ensure that public spaces are "safe, peaceful," and "well-maintained." In this regard, he spoke about the increase in street educators, who accompany people with addictions so they can use drugs outside of public spaces, in safe and supervised environments.